The CB would be a stretch as well. I guess you could theoretically consider the Nextel style 'push to talk' features that became popular for a period to be similar enough, but I don't think any modern handsets do that, and it's still not the same as broadcasting to everyone in the area.

if a guy born in 1 C.E time traveled to 1000 C.E. an walked inside the average home, he would be familiar with his surroundings. I can't imagine anything that would look out of place to him. for most of history this is true I think. some luxury items might become more common as time went on(like say, glass instead of wooden mugs), and fashions changed over time, but the average house and the items in it would appear normal to the average person, for the most part anyway.

Nah. Expectations of this kind of tech was everywhere. Hell, there's a fark cliche about flying cars that exploits that. None of the things that you mentioned would be out of the question in the 40s with the exception of computers. They had analogs to cell phones (DIck Tracy's video watch), electric cars (which really aren't at all futuristic), flat screens (all screens were flat in 1940, they were projections, so it wouldn't seem at all odd), solar panels mimic plants, video games are computers so they fall into my caveat above, microwave ovens would be seen just as an advance on the current ovens of the day, florescent lights were being sold in the last 30s, etc.

The access to information is what would gall someone from 1940. I see this all the time when I have my in-laws (in their 80s) over to my house for movie night. After the movie (which is often from the 40s or 50s) we chat about the actors, directors and such. If they recall a specific scene, song, or moment in another film I can usually find it within a couple of minutes and send it to my television.

Also they'd probably shiat themselves more at the idea of a black woman and a white woman getting married and opening a pot farm in Colorado.

And, depending upon where your theoretical 1st century dude lived, he might consider his 10th century accommodations a huge step back and wonder where all his public works went.

dameron:Nah. Expectations of this kind of tech was everywhere. Hell, there's a fark cliche about flying cars that exploits that. None of the things that you mentioned would be out of the question in the 40s with the exception of computers. They had analogs to cell phones (DIck Tracy's video watch), electric cars (which really aren't at all futuristic), flat screens (all screens were flat in 1940, they were projections, so it wouldn't seem at all odd), solar panels mimic plants, video games are computers so they fall into my caveat above, microwave ovens would be seen just as an advance on the current ovens of the day, florescent lights were being sold in the last 30s, etc.

I'm not saying it would be magic to them or they wouldn't be able to relate to any of it. I'm saying it would be different. I'm saying an old mans house in 1940 isn't going to be much different than the house he grew up in 60 years earlier. but his grandson born in 1940 is going to live in a very different house in 2014. progress is accelerating.

dameron:The access to information is what would gall someone from 1940. I see this all the time when I have my in-laws (in their 80s) over to my house for movie night. After the movie (which is often from the 40s or 50s) we chat about the actors, directors and such. If they recall a specific scene, song, or moment in another film I can usually find it within a couple of minutes and send it to my television.

when I'd go to the local VFW for a beer, I'd list to my dad and some other guy trying to remember the name of a movie, or an actor on tv. they'd argue back and forth for a bit, until I got bored with it. then I'd get my phone out and look it up on the internet, and blurt out the answer. I don't know why that amused me as much as it did.

on the same lines as that...when I was a kid I'd wonder about something. then try to remember to look it up the next time I was at the library. then hope the books I got actually told me what I was trying to find out, otherwise rinse and repeat. today I can find out what I want to know in seconds and I love it. but I'm still uncomfortable telling my son "google it" for some reason.

Nah. Expectations of this kind of tech was everywhere. Hell, there's a fark cliche about flying cars that exploits that. None of the things that you mentioned would be out of the question in the 40s with the exception of computers. They had analogs to cell phones (DIck Tracy's video watch), electric cars (which really aren't at all futuristic), flat screens (all screens were flat in 1940, they were projections, so it wouldn't seem at all odd), solar panels mimic plants, video games are computers so they fall into my caveat above, microwave ovens would be seen just as an advance on the current ovens of the day, florescent lights were being sold in the last 30s, etc.

The access to information is what would gall someone from 1940. I see this all the time when I have my in-laws (in their 80s) over to my house for movie night. After the movie (which is often from the 40s or 50s) we chat about the actors, directors and such. If they recall a specific scene, song, or moment in another film I can usually find it within a couple of minutes and send it to my television.

Also they'd probably shiat themselves more at the idea of a black woman and a white woman getting married and opening a pot farm in Colorado.

And, depending upon where your theoretical 1st century dude lived, he might consider his 10th century accommodations a huge step back and wonder where all his public works went.

And wonder he would, since he would be unable to understand a word that anybody was saying.A man from 1940, today, would have the benefit of speaking the language.

ransack.:Because AM radio still works from 100 miles away when all the cell towers around have been destroyed by a nuclear weapon?

AM can go a lot farther than that. Last time I was in Seattle, I was able to pick up KFI and KFWB from Los Angeles over the air. My dad once told me that when he was a kid in L.A. in the 50s, he used to be able to pick up AM radio from Chicago.

TuteTibiImperes:markie_farkie: Radar detector is built into smartphones, too?

NSA SEEKRIT FEETURZ!!!!11

The CB would be a stretch as well. I guess you could theoretically consider the Nextel style 'push to talk' features that became popular for a period to be similar enough, but I don't think any modern handsets do that, and it's still not the same as broadcasting to everyone in the area.

And I am so glad I don't have to hear that shiat anymore -- *chirp* *loud conversation* -- repeat

My dad is born in 1940. If it's technological, he will only learn which buttons in what order he has to press to get what he wants. If he managed to press the wrong button or the right buttons in the wrong order, he will resort to press every button on the remote until it works. And then I have to sort it out. He's had a stroke 16 years ago so motor coordination in his hands is bad. When I tell him to make a quick tap on a button, he will mash it. He hates computers with a gusto and everything with a menu. Unfortunately manufacturers put processors into everything they make now.

cameroncrazy1984:downstairs: downstairs: jaylectricity: 13 of 15 of the items. Which two are not in your pocket? My first guess is radar detector.

downstairs: Not to be picky, but I don't believe you can get AM radio directly on a smartphone. No idea why, and I haven't tried in years... but when I did (on a PC) it was always FM only.

If you have a smartphone you can get AM radio, but it's over the internet.

1030 AM WBZ

Ok, I was being a bit pedantic. You can't actually get a straight AM stream direct over a smartphone or PC. Which I've always thought was weird.

Crap... bad wording. By "stream" I mean an actual signal.

Why would you want to? The Internet signal is digital and thus clearer and better than an AM signal

If you don't have an unlimited data plan, or you just don't want to use mobile data to stream, or you have a slower broadband connection and you don't want to deal with the signal drop out when you or someone else is downloading something. My first Android phone had an FM Tuner, which I miss sometimes; I know AM would be impractical in a smartphone.

smask:My dad is born in 1940. If it's technological, he will only learn which buttons in what order he has to press to get what he wants. If he managed to press the wrong button or the right buttons in the wrong order, he will resort to press every button on the remote until it works. And then I have to sort it out. He's had a stroke 16 years ago so motor coordination in his hands is bad. When I tell him to make a quick tap on a button, he will mash it. He hates computers with a gusto and everything with a menu. Unfortunately manufacturers put processors into everything they make now.

my dad was born in 47. he despises computers, and after using his dvd player for the first time(and the only time he's used it) he asked if he needed to rewind the dvd. his clamshell cell phone he uses for emergencies only.

but my grandparents born in the late 20s/early 30s had a computer since the 80s.

My dad is born in 1940. If it's technological, he will only learn which buttons in what order he has to press to get what he wants. If he managed to press the wrong button or the right buttons in the wrong order, he will resort to press every button on the remote until it works. And then I have to sort it out. He's had a stroke 16 years ago so motor coordination in his hands is bad. When I tell him to make a quick tap on a button, he will mash it. He hates computers with a gusto and everything with a menu. Unfortunately manufacturers put processors into everything they make now.

Reminds me of my days working for a certain office supply store in the late 90s, and having octogenarians come in to buy an adding machine. They'd try one out, pressing the buttons firmly but slowly, and soon some number would come up twice because he held it down too long. 'Why did it do that? This is no good to me. Show me a different one.' Uh, they all do that when you hold the button down.